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Central Park seriously needs to be condemned: everything bad seems to be drawn to the place. This time its not vampires and demons, this time its zombies. The place is cursed. Fortunately, they're staying more or less in the park or near it. The sun is just setting, and darkness seems to draw them out. Some look almost alive: and these are fast if they decide they want some lovely living flesh. Others are barely more then connective tissue and bones, and these shamble until they fall over, then they crawl, and then they just… twitch. Where all of these are coming from is anyone's idea.
Across the street stands Eshu, wearing a pair of slacks and a bright, colorful shirt with an open V in front and which hangs half down his legs, but is otherwise short sleeved. A similarly colored round hat sits upon his head, but it is the staff that likely draws the most attention. It's a bit taller then him, and intricately carved and painted, with engraved metal gilding it. It looks to be a snake: so good is the quality of the stave that it almost looks alive. Except for the not moving thing.
Before him, a group of zombies— some mix of the fast and the slow— are approaching the edge of the park, prowling. Hunting, in that vague way of theirs.
*
With her strength recovered after a few weeks of sun Starfire is staying out later and later in her quest to understand her new home. And that means talking to people and where better to meet people than the park! "Greetings!" she says cheerfully, walking out from a cluster of bushes in the direction of the prowling mob. "Everyone seems very friendly here, might I ask what is going on today?"
*
Nightwing scoped out these creatures the other night with the 'Shadow', who had some ideas as to how to take them out for good. While he doesn't have access to the guns that the other did, Nightwing went back to cobble some other methods together to create a somewhat controllable flame-thrower. He also brought quite a few throwing-stars as he was told that engaging hand-to-hand wasn't the best.
He's perched back on the roof of the Waldorf-Astoria, looking over at the collection of zombies there. When he catches sight of Starfire approacing some, his eyes widen and he rappels his way down and over to try and intercept her before she gets attacked. "K…" oops, he is in costume, "Keep away from them!" is called.
*
Curious, Eshu regards Starfire and her arrival with some curiosity, but then his attention is drawn up to the calling man. He doesn't seem as concerned for the … whatever it is that Starfire is — the god isn't quite sure — instead he looks merely curious. "Someone has played with matters they should not play with." he replies to her, though, "And now the dead rise and walk. It is not a thing I have seen in a very, very long time. Beware. They will try to eat you." This warning is mild, and unconcerned, he begins crossing the street towards the monsters.
*
"Why would they try to eat me? I am not a food or beverage," Starfire wonders, smiling and waving at the advancing zombies. Maybe they are just misunderstood! She sniffs the air and tilts her head "They do smell a little more… fragrant than most people I have met in New York. Are you quite sure that things which are dead can walk? I would not wish to harm anyone who was still alive."
Kori glances up at the rooftop figure and waves at him as well. "Are you sure it is safe for you to be up there? Hopefully you are able to fly and are not at risk of falling." It's about then one of her new friends, the fastest of the bunch, lunges in for a chomp to her shoulder. There is a crunch and a scattering of broken teeth fall out. "That is very rude. You are lucky my clothing is designed not to puncture, tear or rip." With one hand she pulls the zombie off and holds it at arms length.
*
"Because they're bad," Nightwing offers afte rhe runs in and begins to fire the flamethrower at one of the nearby zombies. Fire and bullets should work, he was told. It's time to find that out!
"They aren't friendlies and they'll hurt others." She can join the fight or move out of the way as he doesn't want to harm her either. He turns as another crosses the street to them, unsure as to whether or not he's with them or the zombies.
*
Eshu inclines his head slowly, "I don't know what animates them, but it is dark sorcery, that much is certain. There's no mind in them: they aren't even animals. They are corpses being puppeted by spell." When one comes near him, he deftly shifts out of the way and brings the end of his staff down on its head— hard. He clearly has training with using it as a weapon: and it neatly crushes the zombie's skull in, which collapses on the ground. And leaves zombie brain goop on the end of his staff. This causes him to frown, and tug a handkerchief out of his pocket to begin wiping it off, "This magic is something my cousins could pull off, if they wished to. If one paid them their due. But I do not think it them: I do not smell their magic on the air."
*
"Magic is real?" Starfire wonders aloud. Then with a flick of her hand she snaps the zombies head clean off with her bare hand. "Will they be destroyed by the release of high intensity energy If so I can assist with the removal." She raises her hands and unleashes a barrage of glowing green starbolts. Each slams into a zombie blowing holes into them, limbs go flying and a few heads explode.
*
The zombie that got burned by the flamethrower screeches and scrambles into another, setting them both on fire. Luckily, it won't take too long for the fire to eat enough that they both fall apart. "Apparently it is and if this guy knows about these things," he nods to Eshu, "I'd listen. It's why I brought fire to a gunfight." Wait, that didn't work too well.
Nightwing also looks to Eshu, "We need to find the source and shut that down…I mean, New York is bad enough without these creatures eating folks on the street."
*
The staff having been cleaned, Eshu leans on it idly, tapping his fingers at the side of it with a mild, thoughtful look. He replies first to the strange looking woman, "Nearly everything is real, my dear. Sometimes not in the way you might expect— but real nonetheless."
As if to demonstrate, a second Eshu appears over by a tree, and leans against it, speaking from that place while the first Eshu continues tapping along. "Gods, demons, magic, creatures from other dimensions or other worlds."
The first Eshu regards Nightwing for a long moment, "Do we? Need to, I mean? This magic is not my doing, nor that of my brothers, nor my cousins. Is it my place to interfere with what someone else has wrought? Perhaps there is a purpose— a lesson— a challenge, here."
*
"I have met many beings from other worlds," Starfire says earnestly. "Including the Superman. Who is very pleasant company. I also know from historical records that my god X'hal is real. Until today I assumed magic was a form of entertainment. This is quite fascinating!" A beam of green energy scythes from her eyes and lops a few zombies in half. She smiles at the new Eshu "If you do not know the purpose of the zombies then how do you know it is not a lesson or challenge for you?"
*
Nightwing turns a stare to Eshu at his question, "Uh, yes? We do. There isn't even a discussion needed about that. If you're not going to 'interfere' then I will…because there is no lesson that these guys eating people can teach. That, in my book, is bad with a capital B and that rhymes with T and that stands for Trouble."
Any zombies that try to get close get torched by the flamethrower.
There's another glance at the smiling Starfire and he just asks himself, "Am I the only one taking this threat seriously?"
*
The Eshu by the tree blinks at Starfire, the question startling him: and then he laughs. "I am the teacher, I am not the student. Even my Grandfather does not seek to teach me." is how he replies to her suggestion. The Eshu by the tree then vanishes, and the other sighs, approaching a zombie that Nightwing is not burning. He spins in a quick motion, and his staff hits hard into its neck, snapping it cleanly. That doesn't stop the zombie, thuogh, which causes the god to blink, but without any hesitation the tip of his staff is shoved through its skull. That stops it.
"There is nothing amusing about these, but they are no threat to me. My horse can not be turned: I hold him and it is within my power to deny him death."
*
Starfire scratches her head. "I do not really believe these to be a threat to me. I am able to fly and I do not believe they can," she demonstrates by floating a little off the ground and floating closer, energy blasts cutting down any zombies which come close to her. "When I was studying on Okaara the masters would say that to be a teacher is to live forever as a student. They would probably love to talk to you about… many things." She glances around. "I do not see any horses. Is the horse magical too? Perhaps it is invisible?"
*
"That may be," Nightwing comments to Eshu as he aims to torch another approaching zombie. "But they're a threat to this city and it's my job to help keep it and the people in it safe. So, glad that they aren't a threat to you personally, but I'm looking at the bigger picture here." He then glances at Starfire, "Ok, so if you two want to have a philosophical conversation that's fine. Don't mind me, I'm just going to try to off these guys."
*
"Can we not do both?" asks Eshu of Nightwing, even as he watches a fast zombie start running towards him. A second Eshu appears, and when the zombie hits the first, it shatters into dust, and the staff comes hard down upon its head. "I do not deny they are a threat, or that it isn't good that you fight them. I help, see?" He smiles, gesturing to the dead zombie.
Absently he glances over to Starfire, and puts his hand upon his chest, "This is the horse." he indicates, "As to these masters of yours: it is a wise sentiment. It simply does not apply to me, however."
*
Now she's flying Starfire has little trouble floating over to Nightwing. "I am happy to help if you require masked friend," she offers. "And please do not worry about setting me on fire. I will not burn." She floats above him, launching streams of energy that light up the sky and cause quite a bit of collateral damage to the park. "Oh! You are the horse. I understand. I think. How do you stop magic? Is there a button or lever?"
*
"Watch the park!" is called as Starfire just fires the bolts. "The point is to get the zombies and not everything else!" Nightwing is just going to let the two talk their philosophy while he tries to get rid of the zombies drawn to them. At some point, though, the flamethrower is going to run out of 'juice'. The question is if it's been long enough that the zombies are at least temorarily decimated.
*
"No. I ride the horse." Eshu pauses, to consider her question, and he frowns slightly, "That depends. Some magic will exhaust itself of power, while some can be stopped by finding the source of its power and disabling it. Other magic is persistent, though, and requires a counterspell to cancel. I would have to observe this magic for some time to know the difference." He lifts a hand, running it through the air a moment, then sniffs at it, thoughtful. "Yes, it would take time to determine. In the meantime, destroying them is effective. They will not rise again once broken, I can tell you that. You may wish to listen to the masked man: the park is fairly well liked."
*
"I am only causing cosmetic damage," Starfire assures. "A few damaged trees are a small price to pay compared with innocent lives. Are they able to bite harder than a regular Human? If so I do not think they will be able to harm me. So I can simply begin ripping them apart by hand." She does however switch to the more surgical eye beams for the next wave of undead. By now the park is beginning to smell and look /quite/ ghastly.
*
"You can't fix trees," Nightwing comments but nods his thanks to Eshu as he gets an agreement on this, at least. With the flamethrower done, he grabs some of his throwing-stars to toss at some zombie-heads. "I was told not to engage them in hand-to-hand…" but then again, he's neither magical nor alien-powered. "I still think we should find the root and stop it there."
*
"If anything, they are weaker." says Eshu to Starfire, "The danger— to those who are susceptible— is that the magic is in their bite. If they pierce your skin, the magic infects you. If that is not a danger…" He shrugs. Moving forward, he spins his staff around as three zombies shamble towards him, deftly putting the tip through one's eye, crushing the skull of the second and turning to face down the last. "It is wise for mortals to engage them from afar: it takes only a single bite, however slight the break in the skin, for the magic to pass on, and then you will die and rise with them."
*
Starfire hmmmmmmms. "I do not think I like this magic," she muses. "Perhaps I will not risk being bitten. It does not seem worth the risks. If you need help escaping masked friend I could carry you? If you do not find it upsetting that I am from another world that is." She looks around and shrugs. "What would the source of the magic look like? If you can direct me to it I could try break it. Or relocate it to somewhere far away. Like in space."
*
"Nightwing. You can call me 'Nightwing'," is offered as he throws another star at a zombie's face. "I don't find it upsetting and I don't want to escape. I want to get rid of these." They aren't overwhelmed yet, "If you two are willing to help, that is." Or unless too many show up where they might have to retreat and reconsider.
*
"I am Eshu." says the god of chance, watching the zombie for a moment, holding it at bay with his staff but not attacking quite yet. Studying. Considering. Finally he spins about and destroys its head, glancing over to Starfire, "Unfortunately, it could look like anything. I could tell you what it would look like if it was magic of my family, but it is not. Every tradition of power has its own forms." And then he nods to Nightwing, "Very well. I will assist."
*
"You do not have to escape right this moment," Starfire points out. "I could also lift you up to somewhere safer to fight from. Like a nearby tree." She waves at Eshu and Nightwing. "I am Princess Koriand'r of the planet Tamaran. But you may call me Starfire." She considers the situation, cutting down a few more zombies and then adds "Perhaps I could fly you both around the park, we could look for any unusual objects or markings which would indicate the source of the magic?"